How Marco Rubio financed his way to the top

Marco Rubio was barely solvent as a young lawmaker climbing his way
to the top post in the Florida House, but special interest donations and
political perks allowed him to spend big money with little scrutiny.

About $600,000 in contributions was stowed in two inconspicuous
political committees controlled by Rubio, now the Republican frontrunner
for the U.S. Senate, and his wife. A Miami
Herald/St. Petersburg Times analysis of the expenses found:

• Rubio failed to disclose $34,000 in expenses — including $7,000 he
paid himself — for one of the committees in 2003 and 2004, as required
by state law.

• One committee paid relatives nearly $14,000 for what was
incorrectly described to the IRS as "courier fees" and listed a
nonexistent address for one of them. Another committee paid $5,700 to
his wife, who was listed as the treasurer, much of it for "gas and
meals."

• He billed more than $51,000 in unidentified "travel expenses'' to
three different credit cards — nearly one-quarter of the committee's
entire haul. Charges are not required to be itemized, but other
lawmakers detailed almost all of their committee expenses.

Rubio's spending continued in 2005 when the Republican Party of
Florida handed him a credit card to use at his own discretion. While
serving as House speaker in 2007 and 2008, he charged thousands of
dollars in restaurant tabs to the state party at the same time taxpayers
were subsidizing his meals in Tallahassee.